Profile Of Delpedro Marhaen, Executive Director Of Lokataru Foundation Forcibly Picked Up By Police

Executive Director of the Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen (Instagram/@lokataru-foundation)

YOGYAKARTA - Executive Director of the Lokataru Foundation, Delpedro Marhaen, was reportedly forcibly arrested by police officers who claimed to be from Polda Metro Jaya on Monday night, September 1. The arrests were made at the Lokataru Foundation Secretariat at around 22.32 WIB.

In its official statement, the Lokataru Foundation views the arrest as a repressive act and violates the principles of democracy and human rights. The arbitrary actions of the apparatus are not just a form of criminalization, but an attempt to silence criticism.

"Delpedro Marhaen is a citizen who has the constitutional right to speak up, gather, and express his opinion peacefully. The arrest of authority against him is not just a form of criminalization, but an attempt to silence public criticism," reads a release quoted from Instagram @lokataru_foundation, Tuesday, September 2.

Reportedly, during the arrest, the police did not explain the reasons for the arrest, but only said that Delpedro was threatened with five years in prison.

But previously, Depedro had visited Polda Metro Jaya to ask the demonstrators who were arrested at the August 28, 2025 demonstration.

Delpedro Marhaen studied higher in the field of law and politics. He completed a Bachelor of Law study at Tarukanagara University in 2022.

It did not stop there, Delpedro continued his education until he achieved the Political Sciences Master at UPN Veteran Jakarta (2024) and the Legal Master at Tarukamanagara University (2024).

From the start, Delpedro pursued a career as a human rights activist. He joined the Lokataru Foundation as Research Assistant (2019-2021). Delpedro is also a researcher at Haris Azhar Law Office (2023).

In addition, Delpedro is active in Hakasasi.id in 2020-2021. He also served as Assistant Program at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) in 2022-2023.

The track record shows its consistency in defending the rights of civil society. He did not hesitate to criticize state policies that were deemed to violate democratic principles.

At its peak, in 2024 Delpedro is trusted to lead the Lokataru Foundation as Executive Director. In that position, he is increasingly known as one of the young figures defending human rights.

Delpedro is not only an organizational activist, but also a field activist. In August 2024, he was arrested by the police after a demonstration against the revision of the Pilkada Law, one of which is related to the minimum age limit for regional head candidates.

Lokataru Foundation is a non-profit based organization in Jakarta that was founded in May 2017. The presence of this institution was initiated by a number of human rights activists (HAM, such as Haris Azhar, Eryanto Nugroho, Sri Suparyati, Nurkholis Hidayat, Atnike Sigiro, Iwan Nurdin, and Mufti Makarim.

The name Lokataru itself is taken from the Sanskrit which means Universal Idea Tree, symbolizing the spirit of realizing an open, collaborative, and inclusive space of thought.

Since its establishment, the Lokataru Foundation is committed to encouraging the fulfillment and enforcement of human rights as the responsibility of the state. This organization has a vision to take part in global human rights solidarity, as well as carrying out missions to advance the accountability of public and private institutions through research, advocacy, and capacity development.

Lokataru worked on his work through four main activities. First, conducting research that is relevant to the public interest, especially marginalized groups. Second, encouraging advocacy by distributing research results to the public and policy makers.

Third, developing the capacity of civil society through Lokademia, an alternative education forum for research, public issues, and campaign strategies. Finally, building networks with various elements of society to strengthen human rights solidarity.

On its way, Lokataru focused on three major issues, namely strengthening civilian space, democratizing the economic and labor sectors, and drafting the human rights index. In addition, they also loudly oppose abuse of authority, corrupt practices, and various forms of human rights violations.

Not infrequently, Lokataru provides direct legal assistance to victims of violations as a tangible manifestation of their struggle. Now, despite having widely networked with civil society, the Lokataru Foundation continues to expand collaboration in order to realize Indonesia's great ideals that are more just, democratic, and uphold human rights values.